The Top 10 Things Your Plumber Doesnt Want You to Do

Needing a plumber in Philadelphia can be unavoidable if you are dealing with a drippy or ruptured pipe. But a lot of the time, you can avoid plugging your pipes or requiring repairs for your garbage disposal, both of which can be pricey to fix.

Here are some of the most common problems we get calls about at Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning and how you can prevent them.

1. Flushing “Flushable” Wipes

Even though they might be called “flushable wipes,” the best place for them is the garbage. The only thing that should be flushed (other than the obvious) is toilet paper and septic treatments, if you use a septic system.

A Canadian study that looked at 101 such wipes discovered none of them passed a flushability test, according to Forbes. Since flushable wipes don’t disintegrate like toilet paper, they can clog your sewer line and lead to your toilet backing up.

They can also wreak havoc on city sewer systems or your septic tank. These wipes can conglomerate with other nasty things that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, such as cooking oil and hygienic products, to create a fatberg. In addition to being unsanitary and just plain gross, environmental nonprofit Green America says these buildups are costly to repair. If you use a city sewer system, those are costs that could get shuffled to you down the road.

No matter what kind of wipe you’re using—makeup remover, cleansing, baby or sanitizing—it should go in the trash once you’re finished.

2. Flushing Other Things That Should Be Tossed in the Trash

Besides flushable wipes, there are a few other things that don’t belong in your toilet. These include:

Together with wipes, these things can clog your sewer line and overflow your toilet, leaving you with an expensive (and gross) mess.

3. Using Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Tabs

Using drop-in toilet fresheners could seem like a good way to keep your toilet bowl clean, but they can cause more trouble than good. These tablets typically contain chemicals, like bleach, which can wreck rubber parts in the tank. And as the tablets break down, they can clog the toilet and prevent it from flushing.

4. Dumping Chemical Drain Cleaners

If your sink is blocked, your initial response might be to buy an inexpensive liquid drain cleaner. However, there are some things you should realize about these drain cleaners.

1. They’re harmful. Drain cleaners are a toxic mixture of chemicals that can burn your skin and eyes. They also produce intense fumes that can cause respiratory irritation. 
2. They can eat away at your pipes. If these cleaners can burn your skin, think about what they can do to your pipes: corrosion, breaks and even failure. 
3. They’re harmful to the environment. As you can figure out, these substances aren’t very helpful for the environment. 
4. They might not even unplug your drain. Regardless of all the chemicals they include, drain cleaners sometimes don’t even work or only work for a little while. That’s since they often move the clog more into your plumbing until it creates a huge problem.

If you do have to have a drain cleaner, we advise using an enzymatic cleaner. These chemical-free cleaners rely on bacteria and enzymes to eliminate clogs and unpleasant odors. While they might take more time than a chemical-based cleaner, they’re healthier for you, your plumbing and the environment.

If you have a difficult clog that just won’t break up, calling a professional plumber like Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning is your smartest option for drain cleaning. While you can rent a drain auger or plumbing snake, it’s simpler to have a professional complete the job. That way, you’ll also avoid breaking your pipes and many other troublesome issues such as leaks, nonworking seals and troublesome odors.

After your drain is working like it should, keep it that way by having a screen to keep hair or food scraps from blocking it again.

5. Getting Rid of Grease Down Your Sink

It can seem like it’s not a issue to drain a little bit of fat down your drain. But as the years go by, that grease can build up and plug your pipes. If the grease finds its way into the sewer system, it can stick to flushable wipes and create a yucky fatberg like we talked about previously.

To prevent plumbing troubles, drain the grease into a bowl. After it solidifies, you can throw it away in the garbage.

6. Relying on Your Garbage Disposal for Everything

Your garbage disposal is a helpful tool for breaking up small amounts of food waste. But it can’t eliminate everything. To stop breakdowns or clogs, we suggest not putting these things down your garbage disposal:

• Coffee grounds 
• Pasta, oats, rice and bread 
• Bones, nuts, pits and seeds 
• Eggshells 
• Onions and potato peels 
• Fibrous fruits and vegetables 
• Grease

If your garbage disposal has a bad smell, you can freshen it with citrus peels or a blend of baking soda and vinegar.

7. Ignoring Maintenance for Your Plumbing System

Just like your heating and cooling system, your plumbing also needs annual tune-ups. This service can help us find small issues before they result in big problems, like a damaging water leak. Some of the problems we check for entail:

If you do notice a problem, including a dripping sink or pipe, it’s important to get it fixed without delay before it gets bigger or leads to damage.

8. Making an Attempt to Fix Your Plumbing Yourself

When you have a dripping pipe or a leaking washing machine, it’s important to call an Expert at Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning for leak repair before it gets worse or causes damage.

Fixing plumbing is an in-depth job that’s best left to professionals. There’s a reason why plumbers go through extensive certification and licensing. Don’t try to do water pipe repair without help or get a handyman, as you could end up wasting time and making a costlier expensive problem.

9. Trying to Service Your Water Heater Yourself

When it comes to your water heater, service and tune-ups are best left to the pros. This includes draining it or checking the temperature and pressure valve. If this isn’t performed properly, you could burn yourself with hot water or flood your home.

Professional water heater maintenance offers peace of mind that your water heater is running properly. It also provides you notice ahead of time when it’s time to start considering water heater replacement, because they usually only operate for about 10 years.

10. Not Realizing Where the Water Main Shutoff Is

If your residence has a large water leak, it’s critical to know where the main water valve is and how to shut it off. This valve is often located in a mechanical room near your water heater.

If you’re still not sure where the valve is located, Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning can help you find it.

It’s also a wise idea to have a water leak protection system that will sound the alarm and shut off the water if there’s trouble. You can even have a smart system to watch water use and notify you on your phone if there’s a leak.

Whatever plumbing trouble you’re experiencing, our Expert plumbers at Stallion Heating Plumbing Air Conditioning are here to provide support. And we’ll support our work with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee* for a year, so you’ll have peace of mind that your repairs were finished correctly. Give us a call at 215-278-9690 to request your appointment today!